A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for mounting vehicle license plates.
B. Description of the Related Art
The United States, and many other countries around the world, do not currently have standardized rules regarding the placement of vehicle license plates on the front of automobiles; for example, only about two-thirds of the jurisdictions in the United States require motorists to display both a front and rear license plate. To produce vehicles for consumers who live in different states and countries, automakers have thus far been forced to either provide front bumpers 1 with a flat license plate attachment section (“carved-out” of an otherwise curved bumper)(See FIG. 1), or design bumpers that accommodate the attachment of a separate license plate bracket assembly.
Unfortunately, these solutions require automakers to sacrifice the aesthetic and aerodynamic properties of their front bumpers, while simultaneously increasing manufacturing and materials costs. A bumper with an empty carved out attachment section is more expensive to manufacture, aerodynamically inferior, and aesthetically displeasing when it is driven in a state where a front license plate is not required. Similarly, separate license plate bracket assemblies add unnecessary materials costs, impart unwanted aerodynamic properties, are susceptible to damage and failure due to road debris, and leave unsightly abrasion marks if the vehicle is subsequently licensed in a state that does not require front license plates.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a prior art bumper structure. By way of non-limiting examples, the typical prior art front bumper 1 includes a mounting frame 5 that attaches the bumper 1 to the vehicle frame (not shown), and a plastic bumper cover (not shown) or bumper structure 3 that encases bumper components—such as reinforcing bars or ribs, bellows, and/or foam (shown in FIG. 2 as 7)—designed to absorb energy in the event of a collision. Prior art bumper configurations are susceptible to the problems described above.
There is a need in the art, therefore, for a license plate mounting system that is concealed—and aerodynamically unimposing—when the vehicle is used in a state not requiring front license plates, but that is easily and adaptably configured to accept front license plates in states with such requirements. Additionally, there is a need on the art for a concealable license plate mounting system that is inexpensive to manufacture while maintaining an aesthetically appealing appearance.